With job titles and functions changing, constant self-reinvention is necessary

The impending—and which some say, alarming—advent of artificial intelligence is not the only reason why we should always employ self-reinvention as far as our job descriptions are concerned. Ever workplace category, from role, function, title, to tasks, is changing as organizations adapt to the times.

What may be a critical skill now may be obsolete tomorrow. To stay relevant, hireable, and of value to the marketplace, constant self-reinvention is necessary. That means not being tied down by past prestigious-sounding occupations or insisting that your tasks are limited to your current assignments. It also means developing new skills, expanding one’s horizons, and taking on more and perhaps challenging work as your employer itself redefines the way it does business, its structure, and the type of workers it needs to get the job done.

As a case in point, IT professionals, who arguably remain on top of the job hierarchy, are realizing that they must remain as generalists up to a point, and not totally and absolutely classify themselves as specialists. As the Tech Republic points out, the demands of industry put a pressure for the skill set to expand, and IT professionals who limit their functions to their job descriptions would be severely reducing their career options.

Employees with no sense of self-reinvention will not progress to any creative leadership role. (Source)

Entrepreneur elaborates that being open to cross-functional roles is actually preparing an employee how to thrive in what is becoming an entrepreneurial business landscape. As industries rise and fall, and once brick-and-mortar companies metamorph into the sharing economy, it is the employee who can solve problems and adapt who will be most valued.

These behavioral attitudes can be developed only if employees are willing to stretch beyond their comfort zones and learn other disciplines. Another advantage in reinventing ourselves is that as we gain an overview of the many industries we are learning, we will learn to think strategically. In contrast, task-oriented workers who stick to their job descriptions will remain execution persons and will not ascend to any creative leadership of any kind.

Suzanne Mitchell is a traveller by heart. She believes that women can change the world. A mother and an entrepreneur, she writes about business and finance and other things of interest to women interested in making their mark in the world.